A striking golden sculpture depicting US President Donald Trump in the nude has gone on display inside a European Parliament building in Strasbourg, France, drawing attention for its provocative political message.
Standing around 8.5 feet tall, the sculpture is titled ‘The Orange Plague’. It portrays Trump holding a golf club in one hand and the scales of justice in the other. A golf ball designed to resemble the Earth is also incorporated into the work, linking the imagery of Trump’s favourite sport with wider questions about global affairs and the environment.
The sculpture is also known as ‘King of Injustice’. In the artwork, a naked Trump sits on the shoulders of a smaller, partially clothed man, creating the impression that the latter is carrying him around. The unusual composition is intended to represent the weight of political power and its impact on ordinary people.
A statement written on the sculpture’s pedestal reinforces that theme. It describes a man being crushed under the weight of another person who claims to be doing everything possible to help him, while refusing to get off his back.
The sculpture has been placed in a busy area connecting two European Parliament buildings in Strasbourg. It is scheduled to remain on display until Thursday.
The work was created by Danish artist Jens Galschiøt, who has described Trump as one of the major threats to the international rules-based order, democratic values and collective efforts to address the climate crisis.
“We must talk about it and stand together against the destructive effects,” Galschiøt said, explaining the political motivation behind the work.
The sculpture, covered in 23-carat gold leaf, draws inspiration from Hans Christian Andersen’s famous fairy tale ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’. In the story, an arrogant ruler believes he is wearing magnificent clothing, while in reality he is naked. His courtiers are too frightened or eager to flatter him to tell him the truth. Eventually, a child points out what everyone else has been unwilling to say.
Galschiøt said the same idea lies behind his sculpture: challenging political power, questioning those who surround powerful leaders and encouraging people to speak openly about what they see.
European Parliament member and Danish politician Per Clausen, who is associated with the exhibition, said he was not concerned about how Trump might respond to the artwork. Referring to the US president, Clausen argued that if such a sculpture could be tolerated within the European Parliament, the issue of political leadership and international responsibility should also be open to public debate.
The White House has so far made no public comment on the sculpture’s display at the European Parliament.
‘The Orange Plague’ is not being shown in Strasbourg for the first time. The golden sculpture was initially exhibited at the United Nations climate conference, COP30, held in Brazil last year. It was later displayed during the Munich Security Conference in Germany this year.
Through its deliberately provocative imagery, the sculpture combines political satire with references to justice, climate change, global power and public accountability. Its appearance inside one of the European Union’s key political institutions has given the artwork an additional layer of significance, turning it into a highly visible statement about the relationship between political authority and artistic expression.
